Apparatus for removing creases from the fabric of a garment are commonly known. Such apparatus generally comprise an ironing board with an upper surface on which a garment is placed, and an iron with a heated sole plate which is pressed against the garment on the upper surface of the ironing board. The use of heat generated by the heated sole plate together with pressure applied by the iron removes creases in the fabric. To further aid the removal of creases, irons are also known to include steam generating means and a plurality of steam holes formed in the heated sole plate through which steam is expelled against the fabric of a garment. Moisture from the steam is used to relax the fabric fibres, while heat from the heated plate raises the fabric material to its glass transition temperature and subsequently dries it to retain its flatness. Therefore, a combined use of heat, moisture and pressure is applied to the fabric to remove the creases formed therein.
However, a disadvantage of the above arrangement is that ironing boards are cumbersome to set-up and store, and take up a large amount of working space during use.
An attempt to deal with the abovementioned problems with conventional irons and ironing boards is known from US 2004/0084433 A1. In this document an iron is known which comprises a heated sole plate with a plurality of steam outlet holes formed in a circular arrangement in the sole plate. A plurality of air vent holes are formed in a circular arrangement around the plurality of steam outlet holes, and a vacuum pump means is formed in the iron to suck air through the air vent holes. When the fabric of a garment is positioned against the heated sole plate, the vacuum pump means is operated so that a low pressure is generated at the sole plate and so the fabric is drawn against the heated sole plate.
However a problem with the iron disclosed in this document, and other known irons, is that the heated sole plate, heating means for heating the heated plate and the steam generating means for producing steam are all enclosed in the main body of the iron. Therefore, the main body of the iron is heavy, difficult to manoeuvre and cannot be held by a user for any considerable length of time without resting the iron on an ironing board or an other surface. Additionally, irons must be of a sufficient size to include a water tank and water delivery system. Therefore, the mobility of a known iron is restricted due to the size and weight of the iron. Another problem with the iron in US 2004/0084433 A1 is that the flow of steam and air through the steam outlet holes urges the fabric of a garment away from the heated sole plate and so reduces the effectiveness of the iron.
Known irons also require a heat control to regulate the temperature of the heated sole plate to account for different types of fabric. Dependent on the type of fabric the iron will either not remove creases if the heat control is set too low, or burn the fabric of the garment if the heat control is set to be too high. In addition, known irons also rely on the pressure applied by the heated sole plate against an ironing board, to remove creases. Furthermore, as irons require a heated sole plate to remove creases from a fabric, the heated sole plate can cause scorching and/or burning of the fabric if the heated sole plate is left in one position on the fabric.
Garment steamers are known for steaming garments to remove creases from a fabric material of a garment through the use of heat and moisture. Such a garment steamer generally comprises a steam generating unit and a steamer head connected to the steam generating unit by a steam hose through which steam is conveyed to the steamer head. The steamer head is provided with a steam outlet to discharge steam onto the fabric being treated. Typically, the garment is hung on a hanger during treatment by the steamer and the user stretches the garment with one hand while the steamer head is manipulated over the garment with the other hand. However, conventional garment steamers have the problem that the flow of steam from the steamer head urges the garment away from the steamer head when the steamer head is positioned against the garment.
In an attempt to solve the above problems with conventional steamers, a user needs to hold the garment against the steamer head. However, this requires a two handed operation and the user's hand is positioned in the way of the steamer head and so may be scolded by the steam exhausted from the steamer head. Protective gloves and pads are known for supporting the garment from behind while the steamer head is pressed and moved across the garment to aid the removal of creases and to help prevent injury to a user. A further disadvantage is that it is difficult to manipulate the garment which is hung on the hanger to avoid unintended folds and creases and to keep the garment steady during the treatment.